A Case of Vertebral Osteomyelitis and Spinal Epidural Abscess Caused by Haemophilus aphrophilus / 대한내과학회지

ABSTRACT

Haemophilus aphrophilus is an aerobic, gram-negative oropharyngeal bacterium, commonly isolated from cases of HACEK endocarditis. In addition, H. aphrophilus has also been shown to cause invasive bone and joint infections. Although multiple cases of H. aphrophilus endocarditis have been described, no cases of invasive bone and joint infections caused by H. aphrophilus have been reported in Korea. Here we report the case of a 69-year old woman with a diagnosis of vertebral osteomyelitis and spinal epidural abscess with compressive myelopathy caused by H. aphrophilus, in which there was no objective evidence of infective endocarditis. She was successfully treated with intravenous administration of cefotaxime and drainage of the epidural abscess by laminectomy of the T3-7 vertebrae.